Hungarian composer Franz Liszt (1811-1886) was a virtuoso pianist and composer. He was a renowned performer throughout Europé during the 19th century, noted especially for his showmanship and complete sovereignty over the keyboard. Today, he is generally considered to be one of the greatest pianists who ever lived. As a composer, Liszt was one of the most prominent representatives of the New German School. He left behind a huge and diverse oeuvre, in which he influenced his forward-looking contemporaries and anticipated some 20th-century ideas and trends.